A cikin karni na 8 KZ, Girka ta fara fitowa daga zamanin Duhu wanda ya biyo bayan faduwar wayewar Mycenaean.An yi hasarar karatun karatu kuma an manta da rubutun Mycenaean, amma Helenawa sun karɓi haruffan Phoenician, suna gyara shi don ƙirƙirar haruffan Girkanci.Daga kusan ƙarni na 9 KZ, rubutattun bayanai sun fara bayyana.An raba Girka zuwa ƙananan ƙananan al'ummomi masu cin gashin kansu, tsarin da aka tsara ta hanyar tarihin ƙasar Girka, inda kowane tsibiri, kwari, da fili ke katsewa da maƙwabtanta ta teku ko tuddai.Za a iya fahimtar zamanin Archaic a matsayin lokacin Orientalizing, lokacin da Girka ta kasance a gefen gaba, amma ba ƙarƙashin ikon daular Neo-Assyrian ba.Girka ta karɓi ɗimbin abubuwan al'adu daga Gabas, a cikin fasaha da kuma a cikin addini da tatsuniyoyi.Archaeologically, Archaic Girka yana da alamar tukwane na Geometric.